Simulated hockey game



Jan. 7, 1958 J. B. PETERS 2,819,082

Y SIMULATED HOCKEY GAME Filed Jan. 7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IO) Fi 2 l5 l5 Fig.3 EV y P Fig.4 I 51% INVENTOR. JAMES B. PETERS ATTORN EYS Jan. 7, 1958 .1. B. PETERS 2,819,082

v SIMULATED HOCKEY GAME Filed Jan. 7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 N INVENTOR. JAMES B. PETERS ATTORNEYS Jan. 7, 1958 J. B. PETERS 2,819,082 v ,SIMULATED HOCKEY GAME Filed Jan. 7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 8

JNVEN TOR. JAMES B. PETERS ATTORNEYS Jan. 7, 1958 .J. B. PETERS 2,819,082

SIMULATED HOCKEY GAME Filed Jan. '7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. I0

INVEN JAMES B. PETE A EW JMTZM ATTO R N EYS United States Patent SIMULATED HOCKEY GAME James B. Peters, Lynn, Mass.

Application January 7, 1955, Serial No. 480,374

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-85) This invention relates to a novel table game apparatus and more especially to table hockey. The standard game of hockey employs a puck and individual players and my table hockey game is adapted to follow this standard practice except that a small ball or marble will ordinarily be used as a puck.

I am aware that table hockey games have heretofore been proposed and have operated in various manners but as far as I am aware none has operated in the standard manner above stated. The primary object of my invention resides in the production of a novel table game of this nature which follows the standard practice by providing individual playing units selectively under the control of opposed players.

My novel game embodies a table having a rectangular playing field, two opposed playing mechanisms facing each other at opposite sides of a line extending transversely through the center of the field and each embodying individual playing units together with a plurality of manually operated elements at each end of the table for selectively operating the units. The playing units comprise pivoted driving sticks so uniformly distributed over the field that the two players at opposite ends of the table can be manipulating the playing elements drive the ball in a manner closely simulating the standard hockey game. The production of a table game thus constructed and employed comprises a further object of the invention.

These and other features and objects of my invention hereinafter described will be more readily understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a table game embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the table, taken on lines 22 of Fig. 1,

Figs. 3, 4 and are transverse sectional views taken respectively on lines 3-3, 4-4 and 55 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the table, partially broken away,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation of a playing stick,

Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevation of playing mechanism illustrated in Fig. 6,

Fig. 9 is a similar view of other like mechanism,

Fig. 10 is an enlarged elevation, partially broken away. of player unit operating mechanism, and

Figs. 11 and 12 are further enlarged perspective views, partially broken away, of the same mechanism.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a rectangular table or game board supported on legs 12 and including a rectangular playing field 14 within inclined side and end walls 15. Two like opposed playing mechanisms are provided on the field at opposite sides of a line 16 extending transversely through the center of the field.

Each such playing mechanism comprises six like playing units each embodying a rotary shaft 18 supported vertically in a bracket 20 attached to the bottom face of the table and having its upper end 22 projecting through the table and slotted at 23. The lower end of each shaft rests on a ball 24 supported on a plug 26 threaded into the bracket and adapted to be secured in adjustable position by a lock nut 28. A playing arm 30 is non-rotatably mounted on each shaft top end 22 in predetermined relative position as by a pin 25 carried by the arm 34 in the slot 23. Each arm also preferably carries a human figure 33 simulating a player.

Each shaft is adapted to be rotated in one direction by manually operated means including a lever 34- pivotally hung from the table on a link 36 and having an operating knob 38 on its outer end at the end of the table. Each lever carries a yoke 40 in turn carrying a nut 42 to which it is pivotally attached by two opposed threaded trunnions 44. Each nut is loose on its shaft 18 and carries a screw 46 threaded thereinto and having a stud at its inner end projecting into a groove 53 extend ing spirally about the shaft. Movement of the nut along the shaft is adapted to rotate the shaft and its playing arm.

The opposed playing units are normally disposed in the arrangement illustrated in Fig. l and described as follows. Three of the units having a combined arm swing diameter substantially equal to the width of the field are directly opposed at l to three like units at opposite sides of the center line 16. Two like units at one side of the line at 2 oppose two like units at the other side with each two units being disposed rearwardly of and intermediately between the adjacent three units. A single unit is disposed at 3 directly in front of each goal 5t} rearwardly of and intermediately between each two adjacent units.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, the two rearmost units at the two ends of the table are operated by levers 34' pivoted to the table forwardly of the shafts 18 (Pig. 9), whereas the other units are operated by levers 34 pivoted to the table rearwardly of the shafts (Fig. 8). A spring 52 is disposed between each lever and the table and normally holds the lever pivoted with its knob 3% in its uppermost position and the nut at one end of the travel permitted by a stop 54. The stop serves to limit rotation of the shaft 18 in one direction and normally maintains the arm 36 in the predetermined starting position of Fig. l. Depressing of the knob 35 is adapted to rotate its shaft and arm forwardly from the starting position and the spring is adapted automatically to return the same when the knob is released. A stop 54, is provided for each lever and comprises a stud threaded into a bracket 5'6 carried by the table.

The playing surface of the table and especially the side walls are inclined as illustrated in Figs. 2-5 so that the ball normally rolls to a position within the swinging range of the arms 30 and cannot become lodged outside of such range. It will be noted that the arms are of a length to cover the playing field inwardly of the inclined side and end wall portion 15 so that by manipulating the knobs 38 the players can drive the ball toward and into the opposers goal 50.

Having thus disclosed my invention what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A table hockey game comprising a game board including a rectangular playing field enclosed within side and end Walls and two opposed playing mechanisms on the board facing each other at opposite sides of a line extending transversely through the center of the field, each of said mechanisms comprising three relatively spaced playing units each embodying a rotary shaft extending vertically through the board and carrying an arm extending laterally outward therefrom over the field, the three units having a combined arm-swing diameter substantially equal to the width of the field and disposed directly opposite three like units at the opposite side of said line, two like units opposing two units at said opposite side of the line and disposed rearwardly of and intermediately between each three units and a single like unit opposing a unit at said opposite side of the line and disposed rearwardly of and intermediately between each two units, bearing means respectively supporting the shafts for rotation on fixed vertical axes relative to the board, and means including a plurality of levers pivoted to the board and projecting outwardly from the ends thereof and associated with the shafts beneath the board for respectively rotating the shafts individually, the last named means including mechanism normally pivoting said outwardly projecting ends of the levers upwardly and means at the other ends of the levers for rotating the shafts when said outwardly projecting ends of the levers are depressed.

2. The game defined in claim 1 in which each of said mechanisms includes a nut on each lever and in engagement with a spiral track on its shaft, pivotal movement of the lever being adapted to move the nut longitudinally of and rotate the shaft.

3. The game defined in claim 1 in which said bearing means comprises a plurality of brackets attached to the bottom face of the board and supporting said shafts for rotation on fixed axes therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,048,944 Munro et al. July 28, 1936 2,507,258 Kohler May 9, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 210,214 Switzerland Sept. 2, 1940 210,853 Switzerland Nov. 1, 1940 427,979 Italy A. D. 1947 

